Cal UAS: Down, but not out in the game of drones

Wednesday

Jan 1, 2014 at 12:20 PM

By Jack BarnwellCITY EDITORjbarnwell@ridgecrestca.com

The news came in Monday about six test site designations the Federal Aviation Administration intends to use to usher in an age of commercial unmanned aircraft systems in civilian airspace.Inyokern did not make the cut. Instead the sites went to Alaska, Virginia Tech, Nevada, the University of Texas - Corpus Christi, the North Dakota Chamber of Commerce and New York's Griffiss International Airport.Cal UAS Portal, like the other 24 applicants in 24 states, faced a battery of requirements including diverse climate and geography, economic impact reports, and capital infrastructure.Situated near Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake, Cal UAS Portal has the ability to draw from a high level of intellectual capital from engineers living in the area, and 19,600 square miles of restricted airspace may still prove to be a lot to offer in UAS research.While FAA Director Michael Huerta did not comment why specific candidates were not included, he said that a full debriefing was available to any applicant that wanted it.Eileen Shibley, executive director of Cal UAS Portal, said that Inyokern will continue on with its mission."We started down this path two years ago (of safely integrating unmanned systems) and we will stay the course," Shibley said. "We're still very optimistic that this will be about doing this from a business standpoint."Shibley added that Cal UAS Portal sees "every reason in the world to be as positive as we have always been."She added that Cal UAS has already formally requested the debriefing.Despite California — and Inyokern specifically, losing out, supporters of Inyokern Airport and Cal UAS Portal did not see it as a total loss."We may have to change course and understand that some investors may only want to invest in those test sites," Gleason said. "But there are other investors that will still be willing to take reasonable risks, build some businesses and make some money in Inyokern."Gleason said that whole integration process for unmanned systems into the National Air Space is not completed by a long shot, nor should Inyokern be left off the table."We're not even halfway finished through this whole thing of business development for Inyokern Airport," Gleason said. "We've got a long way to go, but now we've just got to change course, understand the FAA deal is off the table but that there is still value that Inyokern can bring in UAV and business development."Gleason said now was the "time to thank Eileen and her team for doing the unbelievable work they have done."Congressman Kevin McCarthy, a strong advocate for CalUAS and Inyokern Airport, as well as a driving force behind the UAS integration, saw the bigger picture in the FAA's decision."I still believe that CalUAS is the best place in the country for this kind of work. You cannot replicate our geography, climate and intellectual capital any place in the world," McCarthy said in a statement. "In the last year, four UAV companies have chosen to move their operations to Inyokern Airport and I believe that this trend will continue in 2014."He added that Kern County as a whole will continue to contribute a key role."Kern County has played a key role in the advancement of aerospace technology for decades," McCarthy said. "We believe that will continue in the future, and will stand ready to help usher in the new age of unmanned aviation."California Assemblywoman Shannon Grove (R — Bakersfield) said she was surprised by Inyokern not being selected but that it did not deter from its goal."While I am surprised by the FAA's decision, I don't see this as a deterrent to the effort that has been set in place by the CalUAS team," Grove said in a statement on Monday. "I know that Inyokern Airport will play a role in the integration of unmanned aerial vehicles because we have already executed that feat at our local military bases, including China Lake."Grove stressed that for an initiative that is industry and business-driven, the small airport and the Cal UAS Portal team still have a lot to offer."This all started when industry approached Congress about putting together the necessary policies and procedures to move technology forward," Grove said. "Key industry players have already indicated that Inyokern is where they want to test. And I believe that the environment we offer— the natural and intellectual resources and the largest restricted airspace in the country — will bring people here regardless of the FAA designation."Grove has been a strong supporter of the Cal UAS Portal team."I remain committed to supporting Inyokern in its efforts to bring high-tech jobs to the area, and will continue to work with the CalUAS team moving forward," Grove said.Shibley , who said business will continue to be a priority, said that Inyokern will "do business with whomever it makes sense to do business with."She added that the state's designation of Inyokern as an innovation hub — a network of state-designated incubation hubs for economic development — will continue to play a factor."I think we will see a lot more use of things like that," Shibley said.

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